By 2050 the Puget Sound region is expected to grow by more than 1.5 million people and 1.1 million jobs. In anticipation of this growth, the Bellevue City Council unanimously approved an update to the city’s 2024-44 Comprehensive Plan that will establish housing and job growth targets to shoulder Bellevue’s share of so much regional expansion.
A city’s comprehensive plan broadly states community goals and policies that address orderly and coordinated physical development of a city in the future. Bellevue’s plan, which was last updated in 2015, considers a population growth projection of 50% between 2023 and 2044 and accounts for the introduction of 35,000 new housing units and 70,000 jobs during that same span.
The downtown, Wilburton and BelRed neighborhoods are the focus of the city’s updated plan and will account for 90% of the job growth and 78% of the additional housing units outlined. Also detailed in the comprehensive plan are adopted growth targets for affordable and middle housing and ways to address racially disparate impacts within that growth. Bellevue’s Affordable Housing Strategy has been designed to significantly increase the affordable housing stock over the next 10 years.
Mayor Lynne Robinson believes the plan will meet Bellevue’s goal to create equitable opportunity for a high quality of life for all its residents by emphasizing transit-oriented communities, prioritizing equity and advancing housing affordability. The Comprehensive Plan will also feature climate-focused strategies aimed at aligning Bellevue with new state regulations, specifically addressing transportation and land-use codes.
The plan mirrors the Council Vision, as well as state, regional and county requirements. It leverages generational investments in light rail and other multimodal transportation and new revenue tools for affordable housing. The plan also strongly supports homeownership and anti-displacement programs.
This post was based on information found on 425 Business.
